Echoes of Us

Gr 8 Up—Despite a slow start, this conclusion to the "Hybrid Chronicles" ends up having the most compelling plot of the books in this trilogy. It opens with twin souls Addie and Eva recovering in a safe house from the Powat bombing, trying to figure out what to do and where to go after that spectacular failure. They still desire to fight for the rights of hybrids, so when they are approached by an American reporter who wants to reveal to a population who has long been taught that hybrids are insane the horrific abuse of hybrid children, they agree to help her. But what she wants is for them to allow themselves to be locked up in the worst of all the hybrid institutions: Hahns, a stark, icy-cold facility where the inhabitants are mostly ignored until they actually do go insane or die of illness. The girls' courage is great, but the consequences of their brave choice are huge. Zhang had a daunting task in this book: for half of the characters she had to develop a second distinct personality—by this third book there are so many hybrid characters that keeping them straight is a bit complicated. There are a few places where the story requires a bit more suspension of disbelief, but ultimately, the fast-paced plot allows readers to forget these transgressions as he or she eagerly turns the page, anxious to find out what awaits our heroines. Less nuanced than the previous series installments, nonetheless this is a satisfying conclusion that examines the power of story and what it means to be human.—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO